Because of You
by dwparsnip
Summary: Superman's rapid departure takes its toll on Diana and gives Bruce a little more perspective on superhero relationship. BMWW, though my summary doesn't sound like it. Man I hate doing summaries...


This is based partly on the JLU animated series, the comics and Superman Returns. Elements of all are present.

Thanks to Kipling-Nori who took the time to go over this for me.

Don't own Batman, Wonder Woman, Superman or Justice League…DC does as far as I know.

It's a BMWW fic, so if you don't like them turn back now while you still can.

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Batman strode through the stark corridors of the Watchtower with a stride that was confident and purposeful. He intended to get the files that he needed and depart before he could be accosted by any one of the numerous superheroes who, despite his numerous attempts at intimidating, still wished to 'make nice' with him.

He was beginning to wonder if there was some sort of gag or bet in the works to see who could irritate him the most.

He turned the corner and walked to the main computer, ignoring the curious looks he received from Hawk, Dove and Stargirl who were apparently sharing monitor duty. He always marveled at the way conversations would halt when he walked into a room, which was usually how he wanted it.

The third and last file was downloading onto his portable zip drive when he sensed a presence behind him. _"So close yet so far away,"_ he sighed inwardly.

Bruce knew it wasn't Stargirl. Courtney Whitmore was gifted and, when she wielded the Cosmic Staff, very powerful and formidable, but for all of that she was still a teenager and easily intimidated by the broodiness and darkness of Batman.

That left the brothers Hall.

Hawk, also known as Hank Hall, relied on his impressive strength, rushing headlong into whatever was in his path, and to hell with the consequences. There was no doubt the young man was intelligent, but he was prone to ignoring that intelligence and relying too much on instinct and brute force. And while Hawk didn't appear to be as intimidated by Batman as Stargirl, Bruce knew enough to know that Hawk was neither curious nor polite enough to talk to him.

That left one person, and Bruce removed the drive and turned to face Dove.

Don Hall was an interesting fellow to Bruce. He was incredibly fit, disciplined and intelligent, and unlike his brother he used his intelligence frequently. His use of the martial arts was flawless for the most part, and more than once Bruce was impressed by the younger man's fighting form.

And Bruce didn't impress easily. What impressed him the most, however, was Dove's pacifist core. It was commendable, if somewhat naïve, to believe in pacifism and don tights and a mask to be a superhero. It was a dichotomy that he could understand and appreciate.

Still, he wasn't in the mood, and a pointed Bat glare at the young man was issued.

"Is there anything we can help you with, Batman?" asked Dove, either oblivious to the glare or simply choosing to ignore it.

As Bruce walked past Dove he said sharply, "No." He was almost to the door when he stopped, turned his head slightly and added, "Thank you."

He walked out without waiting for a response, but he knew that it had caught them all off guard. It was part of his master plan after all.

Always keep them guessing.

He walked along the corridor, but instead of turning towards the teleportation platform, he headed farther into the bowels of the Watchtower towards the training room.

While his files downloaded something on the internal security screens caught his attention, something beautiful and apparently very pissed at something. Diana, in full Amazon fighting form, was in the training room destroying drone after drone. He knew that had the camera had audio capabilities, he would have heard at least two roars from her lips according to the way her mouth opened widely. According to the readouts he'd glanced at she'd been in there for some time.

Despite having a fairly good idea what the cause of her current anger was, he had no idea what he was going to say to her, but he had to do something.

Damn it. All he had wanted were his files…

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Diana smashed through another training drone and waited for more to take its place.

Sweat was coursing multiple lines downward along her arms, legs, chest and face, stinging her eyes when it reached them. She had been at it non-stop for nearly two hours, if her internal clock could be trusted to give her an accurate reading. Her chest heaved as she took in deep breath after deep breath in an attempt to calm down, but even what were usually the most effective Amazon breathing techniques were of little use to her at the present time.

She continued to wait in a semi-crouched frontal assault stance, facing her enemy head on and showing her forward profile, hiding nothing with her fists clenched tightly by her sides. The strong muscles in her legs were humming with the anticipation of vaulting her forward towards a drone; her eyes were darting back and forth between the three doors from which they could emerge; and her lips were moving in a silent 'Come on, come on.'

Many moments passed and the waiting became too much for her to bear. Finally she stood up straight and yelled with all her pent up fury, "Come on!"

"There are no more coming, Princess," grated a voice from behind her, a deep voice that she knew all too well. It was a voice that was usually reassuring to her whenever she heard it, but in her present state of mind it only served to aggravate her further.

She whirled around, ignoring her long raven locks as they flew around her head and stuck to the sheen of sweat on her cheek. "Don't give me any nonsense about me overdoing it, Bruce," she said irately, and though it elicited no response whatsoever from the Dark Knight she continued. "And don't tell me that the drones are too expensive for me to beat up. And don't tell me he's not worth it. And don't you dare tell me that I don't have a right to be angry!"

As if to emphasize the severity of the consequences he could suffer if he did indeed say any of those things, she took a threatening step towards him, stamped her red booted foot down hard on the metal deck and pointed her right index finger at his chest and said with deathly seriousness, "Don't."

Batman stood straight and tall a few feet away, and even in the face of an extremely beautiful and angry Amazon he remained perfectly still with his cape drawn tightly around him. The white eyes of his cowl flamed a trail across the open space of the training room and locked directly onto her burning blue eyes.

He took a slow intake of breath before saying quietly, "You are overdoing it, Princess. You've been in here for nearly three hours destroying some of our most deadly drones. And don't think I didn't notice that you disengaged the safety protocols." It was his turn to take a step for the sake of emphasis. "And yes, they are expensive. Even though I am wealthier than the average Justice League member, I do not have limitless resources." He paused and his jaw twitched as though he were trying to decide on whether or not to tackle her next point. "He left us, Princess. Without as much as a note or good-bye. He took off and left us to deal with it all." He never broke eye contact with her as he stated concisely, "He is not worth the punishment you're giving yourself." Batman released a small sigh. "Angry? Of course you have a right to be angry." The right side of his mouth edged upward slightly as he added, "Besides, I wouldn't presume to dare to tell you anything."

Diana narrowed her eyes at his ill advised mockery. He noticed and held up his right hand to forestall whatever her retort was going to be. "But none of those is the reason that no more drones will be coming."

"Then why aren't…"

"There are no more to come out," he said, a little amusement creeping into his voice. "That," he said as he pointed to the wreckage that was the last drone she had destroyed, "was the last one."

Despite the anger, the pain and the need to punch something very hard, Diana couldn't help but laugh. And with the adrenaline rush she had been using to sustain her assault on the Watchtower's training drones all but exhausted, she let her arms fall limply to her side just before she collapsed onto her star-spangled derriere, ending up in a sitting position facing Batman.

He didn't immediately move to aid her. He didn't ask if she needed help or if she was okay…much to his credit. He knew she would have told him where to go and how to get there if he were to intimate that she needed any assistance whatsoever. He simply maintained his posture and position with his usual silence.

It took several minutes for her heart to slow to its usual rhythm, and during that time she never took her eyes off Bruce. Nor did he take his eyes off her. And there was no doubt in her mind that he had been looking directly at her for the entire time, even if she couldn't verify it visually.

She just knew.

"He never even came to see me, Bruce," she finally whispered as she lowered her eyes to her feet. "He is my friend, probably your and my best friend, yet he couldn't even take three seconds to tell us he was leaving." She looked up to Bruce once again and asked in a voice filled with betrayal, "What kind of friend does that?"

She didn't expect an answer, though she did hope that Bruce would say something, that he would talk about it in some way.

"I don't know, Princess," he replied without any hint of emotion. "It's something you'll have to ask him when he comes back."

"What makes you think he's coming back?" The only reason they knew where he had gone was because of a message from Mrs. Kent, and she hadn't said anything about him coming back.

"A simple deduction," he replied shortly.

Diana could see that he wasn't going to go overboard in the detail department, as usual. "What about the League?" she asked. "He's the strongest of us all. How do we go on without his strength? Without him?"

At that Bruce smiled, the first full fledged smile she'd seen from him in some time. He stepped forward and stopped when he got to her outstretched legs. Knowing her rage was spent and her attitude somewhat tamed compared to a few moments earlier, he offered her a hand up. As she grabbed his hand and he pulled her up he said, "We go on because the League is more than just one man, even if it is Superman; because the criminals of the world won't take a holiday just because Superman has and the League will still be needed." He stopped for a second, clenching his jaw together. "We go on, Princess, because we have to."

She looked into the white eyes of the cowl, and after a moment of thought she reached up and placed her hands on either side of his face, slipping her thumbs just underneath the edges of the cowl.

His eyes narrowed for a moment, and then his right hand moved from his side and found a batarang from a supply pouch on the back of his belt. With a flick of his wrist he sent the pointed projectile upward and to the right. He didn't watch its flight- he didn't have to- so instead he watched Diana as she watched it fly. When it impacted its target a second later she smiled widely and turned back to him.

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"Ahhh," groaned Stargirl when the picture went dark. They had no idea what it was that Batman was reaching for behind his back, but now they knew it had been a batarang and that he had thrown it at the surveillance camera. "It was just getting interesting."

"Perhaps it's for the best," said Dove as he retreated from the console towards his chair. "If I were in their position I'd want some privacy as well."

"Yeah," agreed Hawk from his seat. "I wouldn't want anyone watching me if I were going to…"

"Hawk!" said Dove in a loud whisper as he jutted his chin towards Stargirl.

Hawk followed Dove's glance towards their teenage companion and got the message.

Courtney rolled her eyes and sighed at the now blank screen. "Oh well…what were we talking about?"

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With the camera taken care of and her smile still in place, Diana slowly lifted the edges of the cowl off his cheeks, hesitating only a second before lifting it up over his eyes and forehead.

As she pushed the cowl over his head to let it hang behind him her eyes found his locked intently onto hers. Her left hand fell back to rest on his shoulder as her right hand moved to caress his left cheek.

"Thank you," she said softly. "I needed that."

"You're welcome," came a reply that was so genuine that it surprised her a little.

Her eyes became sad and small frown appeared on her perfect lips. "I'm going to miss him, Bruce." She leaned in and rested her head upon his right shoulder. "Do you really think he's coming back?"

Bruce allowed himself to wrap his arms around her waist, but he managed to resist cuddling the side of his face against her plush hair. "He's gone looking for something that doesn't exist any more," he replied. "He wants to find his home." Bruce closed his eyes and allowed himself a moment's comfort in the feel of Diana pressed against him so intimately. If only they weren't talking about another man and how she was missing him. "He's forgetting that his home is here, on Earth, with us. He'll be back when he remembers that."

Bruce opened his eyes just in time to avoid being caught by Diana when she leaned back to look at him. She smiled and her smile was a knowing one, as though she knew anyway and then said, "You're not usually the one with faith around here."

Bruce showed his agreement with her statement with a slow nod. "It is a matter of faith, Princess," he said slowly, "but not in the way you think or mean. I have faith in my ability to observe people and determine their attitudes and actions. That's all."

She smiled again, only this time her grin said that she knew better, and that he knew that she knew. "I don't know what I'd do without you, Bruce."

She was intoxicating under normal circumstances, but for reasons that eluded him at that moment she was even more so. The way her bright blue eyes bore into his, conveying honesty, faith, and if he dared to acknowledge it, love; the way her hands, strong enough to literally tear him limb from limb if she chose to, touched him with a lover's gentleness, seeking and at the same time exuding support; the way her long hair spilled down over and around her shoulders and sought purchase into his hand as it rested on her back, much like the roots of a rose bush delved into the soil for dear life; the way her breasts pressed oh so gently against his chest, so unbelievingly close and yet, due to the ironic curse of Kevlar, so agonizingly far away; and her lips, the color of rubies and so moist that they shone even in the artificial light of the training room and ever so inviting, all added to the already nearly irresistible attraction.

He took a deep breath, and with a deliberateness that she could not mistake as anything but his withdrawal from her moved his head back away from her.

He saw disappointment flash in her eyes, but only for an instant, as it was immediately replaced by something he'd seen in her eyes many times before: determination.

His aforementioned faith in his ability to anticipate what a person would do in certain situations served him well, but despite the knowledge that her kiss was coming he was unable to respond quickly enough to avoid it. Of course, he knew himself well enough to know that he wasn't necessarily sorry about not moving away before her lips impacted his.

He closed his eyes and, for the second time since she hugged into him, Bruce let himself be lost in the feel of her. Her lips tasted as sweet as he remembered, and her hands pulled him closer to her with enough force to keep him there, but not enough to keep him there against his will.

He focused on the experience and took the initiative, gently prodding her lips open with his tongue, and when she finally relented he explored as much of her in the kiss as he could, and she did the same to him.

It was the sweetest kiss he had ever experienced in his life, which was really something considering the sheer volume of kisses he'd had, from pecks on the lips promising nothing to what Flash would call full-contact tonsil hockey. Yet at the same time it was the saddest kiss he'd ever had, for it showed him what he was missing and what he hadn't dared allow himself to have.

He opened his eyes and slowly extricated his tongue from the inviting warmth of her mouth and stopped the kiss. The fact that she was breathing heavily did not escape him, nor did the fact that he was equally affected.

Bruce stepped back from Diana and lowered his line of sight to the floor, where her red boots met the deck. He was about to reach up and pull his cowl down over his eyes to have some protection from the hurt displayed in her eyes when her forceful voice stopped him.

"Don't push me away, Bruce." He looked up and she shook her head slowly as she added, "Please."

He ordered his body to turn and walk to the exit, but something must have diverted or otherwise nullified the command somewhere along the way for he didn't move. Instead his lips said, "I have to, Diana. If I don't…"

She stepped towards him, though she was careful to maintain what she considered a distance that he would find safe. "If you don't…what? You'll learn that you can be happy?" Her eyes bored into his as she pushed farther. "That love isn't such a bad thing? That there can be more to your life that the darkness you must fight in?"

Batman's mouth was a tight, thin line for several seconds, and when he finally spoke his voice was sure and confident. "If I don't I will hurt you, and destroy the friendship we have now." His confidence in what he was saying faltered and his voice lowered as he added, "I can't let either of those things happen. I will not allow that to happen."

Diana stepped towards him and placed her right hand against his cheek. "You dear, sweet, adorable man," she said with a brilliant smile. "What makes you think **I** would allow such a thing to happen?"

He couldn't help but laugh at the mix of confidence and mischievousness in her voice. It was a sound he heard so rarely from himself that a part of him wondered if he should turn around to see if someone else had entered the room. "Diana…"

"You must fight in the darkness, Bruce," she said softly. "I know that, and I accept that. You know that I even respect it." Her hand slid from his cheek towards the back of his neck, her thumb grazing his ear lobe as it went. When her hand reached its destination the tips of her fingers played with his hair. "But there is no reason that you can't, if only for a time, live in the light…with me." Her blue eyes became fire and narrowed in suspicion. "Or is there something I'm not aware of…or someone?"

He just managed to stop himself from saying that she was the only one he cared for. Instead he answered succinctly. "No."

"Then allow yourself the chance," she said. Her voice was soft and steady, but he was almost certain that her eyes were pleading with him. "Allow us the chance."

He stood there for a moment, trying with all his formidable will power to ignore the tingling sensation her fingertips playing with his hair was causing. He never would have thought that his will would be susceptible to something as simple as a caress from her. There were many reasons he should push her away, figuratively that is, as literally would probably get him into a fight. Reasons like…

"And whatever reasons for us not trying this you're thinking about do not matter, Bruce," she said, and when his eyes narrowed for a split second she smirked. "We have been through so much, you and I, that we should be aware of the fragility of life…and love."

For the first time since his arrival in the training room he sensed hesitation from her, though he knew well enough that it wasn't indicative of her feelings as much as it was about how to say what she was thinking.

"There are no guarantees for those in our line of work," she continued after a silent moment. "Even those blessed with immortality can be vanquished, given the proper circumstances and a determined enemy. Yes, it is possible for me to live for an eternity, but why should that matter to us? I do not believe your ego is so fragile as to be bruised by the knowledge that decades or centuries later I may love another." Her left hand moved to his right forearm and made its way slowly up the length of his arm to rest upon his shoulder. "And I presume by now that you are well aware that I do not share the attitudes towards men that my sisters possess."

Bruce remained silent, and her smile told him that she took it to mean that he couldn't argue with her points so far. And the way her hand still played with his hair…

Diana applied just enough forced to his neck and shoulder to draw him closer to her, close enough for their bodies to touch from hip to chest. Still, his arms hung resolutely limp next to his sides.

"We have been a fixture in each other's lives for far too long for us not to know each other's issues," she said. "I am well aware of yours, and you are well aware of mine." She grinned playfully at him. "And despite that knowledge you know I am still willing to give us a chance, that I still have strong and passionate feelings for you. That should say something shouldn't it?"

Bruce nearly smiled and told her it meant that she may very well be certifiable, but luckily his brain was still enough in command to veto what could have been a very dangerous comment.

"And workplace relationships…"

"Enough, Diana," said Bruce suddenly. He must have surprised her because her mouth snapped shut and her eyes opened wide for a second. "You're right," he admitted, and to his surprise the admission came much easier than he thought it would. "You're right that we have been through a lot, so much in fact that those reasons you are trying to argue against right now are perhaps no longer valid."

Indeed he had been thinking about relationships and his reasons against having one almost constantly since seeing Lois three days ago, though he'd managed to avoid coming to any sort of resolution about what to do until now. Lois put up a brave front, but he knew her well enough to know that she was feeling everything Diana was feeling and much, much more. It occurred to him as Lois wrapped her shivering arms around him and held onto him for longer than he had been comfortable with, that her distraught state was just one more example of why he shouldn't get into a relationship with Diana or anyone else. The way Lois' spirit, as strong and formidable as any superhero's had been beaten, battered and shattered by the ending of her relationship with Clark was heart wrenching, even to Batman.

But then something truly remarkable happened, something he had seen in few others in his vast experiences and eccentric life. Lois Lane leaned back and through eyes that were void of the tears he had expected to see looked at him and smiled. _"Thank you, Bruce,"_ she had said as she placed her hand upon his right cheek and gently caressed it for a second before lowering her hand and resting it upon his forearm. _"Thank you for caring, for coming to check on me and for being there for me. Your support, it means the world to me. But don't worry about me, okay?"_ She took a breath and seemed to stand a little straighter, a little taller, in his embrace and then with all the confidence in the world, she pronounced with a resolute nod of her head, _"I'm going to be just fine."_

And he had no doubt about it, though he told her that he would still always be there for her if she needed him. She laughed and told him to go home. He did as she said, and whether or not she was aware of the fact that he checked on her every night since then he would someday ask. Lois always had a nose for sniffing things out, even him.

And now, with a virtual goddess in his arms he realized that Lois was a shining example of fortitude and resilience, a member of a very exclusive club of which Diana was also a member. One of the biggest fears he had about him and Diana centered on her immortality, how, if they entered into a relationship, she would be so hurt when he died. Yet hadn't Diana showed time and again through her stubbornness, her sheer strength of will and her unyielding tenacity that her spirit was as vibrant, resilient and strong as Lois'? Didn't it prove that she would be fine? Didn't it tell him that she would prevail, as he knew Lois would prevail?

She had managed to get into his life farther than any other woman had, and she had done so while he used every means at his disposal to prevent it. That deserved a medal as far as he was concerned. It certainly meant that he owed her giving them a chance. Because of her he'd seen that the light and the darkness could coexist. Because of her he caught first a glimpse and then an all out vision of love. Because of her he was able to feel that emotion again. Because of her, he would embrace it…he would give it a chance.

Her hand stopped playing with his hair, most likely out of shock, and for a moment he was sorry for it. But at least now he could fully concentrate on her. He raised his gloved hands and placed them on her waist just above her hips, and he very nearly smirked when she took a sharp intake of breath and tried to appear unaffected by his touch.

"Despite what many think, I've never been totally alone," he explained. "I've always had someone around me. My parents, of course, and Alfred has been with me all my life and you know he is much more to me than a simple butler." His hands began to caress her body from front to back along the top edge of her hips. "The same holds true for Dick and Tim. Partners, yes, but they are as much my sons as any biological offspring would be." He sighed and looked deep into the blue eyes that were watching his with so much intensity that it amazed him. "I accepted a long time ago that a relationship was impossible because of the life I lead, but lately I've been reconsidering that theory."

"Because of me?" she asked playfully, though she managed to keep her face the picture of innocence.

Bruce wasn't in the mood for games however. He slowly slid his hands around Diana's back, resting his right hand in the center of her back just beneath her shoulder blades and his left hand on the small of her back.

The levity left her face and her eyes once again became fire, though unlike earlier it wasn't a fire borne of jealously. This fire was something altogether different and much more pleasurable. She barely had time to think about it when she felt him pull her towards him.

"Yes," he said as he leaned in to kiss her, "because of you."

The End.


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